Why ‘The Simpsons’ is Funnier in Spanish

Why ‘The Simpsons’ is Funnier in Spanish

“The Simpsons” has been a staple of American pop culture for nearly three decades. As the longest running animated show, Homer Simpson’s dumb/drunk antics and penchant for donuts has made him arguably the most recognizable character on television. But beyond the United States, the show has become a worldwide sensation, with some of the biggest fans hailing from Latin America. That’s all thanks to Humberto Vélez, the voice behind Homero Simpson. Using his own life experiences, Humberto has tailored the perspective and humor of Homero Simpson to relate to Latin American culture. How do you say “d’oh!” in Spanish?

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with producer James L. Brooks. Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and became an early hit for Fox, becoming the network’s first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–90).

Since its debut on December 17, 1989, 639 episodes of The Simpsons have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American sitcom, and, in 2009, it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in terms of seasons and in terms of episodes in 2018. The Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters worldwide on July 27, 2007, and grossed over $527 million. On November 4, 2016, the series was renewed for a thirtieth season, extending the show to May 2019;[4] it will premiere on September 30, 2018.[5]

The Simpsons received widespread critical acclaim throughout its first nine[6][7] or ten[8][9] seasons, which are generally considered its “Golden Age”. Time named it the 20th century’s best television series,[10] and Erik Adams of The A.V. Club named it “television’s crowning achievement regardless of format”.[11] On January 14, 2000, the Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 31 Primetime Emmy Awards, 30 Annie Awards, and a Peabody Award. Homer’s exclamatory catchphrase “D’oh!” has been adopted into the English language, while The Simpsons has influenced many other later adult-oriented animated sitcoms. Despite this, the show has also been criticized for what many perceive as a decline in quality over the years, starting somewhere in the early 2000s.